Easter 5
Wednesday, May 13, 2020
Bishop Todd Murphy
good afternoon Church family pastor Todd
here coming to you on the sunny
Wednesday in the fifth week of Easter so
I’m so glad to be with you guys again
after our glitchy Sunday we are very
sorry that we had problems there we had
an issue with the new Facebook update
and which caused us have to update our
browser but we didn’t quite get that
figured out and so after about 50
minutes of fighting with it we had to
kind of throw in the towel but today
we’re going to spend a little bit of
time in prayer and I’m going to preach
to you bring you basically the content
of what I was going to preach on Sunday
so as far as the the contents concerned
you’ll you’ll get that still hello to
you guys out there Dianne Linda Byram
and any of anyone else who joins us here
I really welcome you guys so let’s take
a couple minutes
let’s silence our hearts before the Lord
hello there Linda I owe you a phone call
you’ll get one and let’s just praise our
father let’s just spend a few minutes in
silence and then we’ll we’ll get into
the word together
well God make speed to save us Lord make
haste to help us glory to the Father and
to the Son and to the Holy Spirit as it
was in the beginning is now and will be
forever amen Alleluia
we are on page 79 in the prayer book if
you want to follow along for those of
you who have it actually we’re turning
to page 80 and we’re gonna read Psalm
121 I lift up my eyes to the hills from
where is my help to come my help comes
from the Lord the maker of heaven and
earth you will not let your foot be
moved he who watches over you will not
fall asleep behold he who keeps watch
over Israel shall neither slumber nor
sleep the Lord Himself watches over you
the Lord is your shade at your right
hand so the Sun shall not strike you by
day nor the moon by night the Lord shall
preserve you from all evil it is he who
shall keep you safe the Lord shall watch
over your going out and your coming in
from this time forth forever more glory
be to the Father and to the Son and to
the Holy Spirit as it was in the
beginning is now and will be for ever
from the rising of the Sun to its
setting my name shall be great among the
nations in every place incense shall be
offered to my name and pure offering
for my name she’ll be great among the
nations says the Lord
hosts father we thank you for this time
together today we thank you that you
have called us by grace and you’ve
called us into hope that we may be a
people called by your name that we may
love you serve you and obey you in the
truth of the gospel we thank you that
Jesus was raised from the dead that he
has given himself for us and he
continues to give himself to us as his
church as his children as the people of
God are reading our Gospel reading is
Gospel of John chapter 14 verses 1
through 14 Jesus said let your hearts
let not your hearts be troubled believe
in God believe also in me
and my father’s house are many rooms
that we’re not so would I have told you
that I go to prepare a place for you and
if I go and prepare a place for you I
will come again and take you to myself
that where I am you may be also and you
know the way where I’m going Thomas said
to him Lord we do not know where you are
going how can we know the way jesus said
to him I am the way and the truth and
the life no one comes to the Father
except through me if you had known me
you would have known my father yet from
now on you do know him and have seen him
Philip said to him Lord show us the
father and it is enough for us jesus
said to him I have been have I been with
you so long that you still do not know
me Philip whoever has seen me has seen
the father
how can you say show us the father do
you not believe that I am in the father
and the father and me the words that I
say to you I do not speak on my own
authority but the father who dwells in
me does his works believe in me that I
am in the father and that the father is
in me or else believe on account of the
works themselves truly truly I say to
you whoever believes in Me will also do
the works that I do greater works than
these will he do because I am going to
the Father whatever you ask in my name
this I will do
the father may be glorified in the son
if you ask me anything and my name I
will do it the word of the Lord praise
to You Lord Christ well this little
sermon homily is called show us the
father therein lies a quest a request
with a quest Philip wants to go
somewhere he wants to know something and
he wants to arrive at a certain place a
certain destination this is not really a
spatial destination but more of a heart
and identity destination he’s asking to
know the Father more and in jesus’s
conversation with his disciples he’s
discussing his departure which is a
temporary depart you and in this passage
here Jesus makes actually just a few
verses apart two of his most famous
statements one of those most famous
statements is no man comes to the Father
but through me where he says I am the
way the truth and the life that is one
of the most famous statements Jesus
makes I am the way the truth and the
life no man comes to the Father but by
me
so Jesus is the way and then Philip says
show us the father to which Jesus says
if you’ve seen me you’ve seen the father
that’s Jesus’s other statement Philip
have I been with you so long that you do
not understand Philip
are you completely missing the point
that if you’ve seen me you’ve seen the
father and so here we have these two
statements and I honestly as I put
together this sermon for last Sunday I
find myself struggling I found myself
struggling with these two statements
because these two statements are such
big gargantuan statements that Jesus
says in the Gospels that I was like I
could say a whole sermon on both
statements on each statement and it
forced me to say but I’m going to preach
them together so what makes these
statements how are these statements
connected how do they go together are
they connected well they’re right in the
same discourse so they should be and so
we have this challenge of how is it that
Jesus is the way the truth and the life
and no man comes to the Father except
through him and at the same time he says
if you’ve seen me you’ve seen him to the
Father
seeing the father how is it that Jesus
leads us to the father
and yet that we’ve already in some sense
arrived at the Father therein lies the
quest that is the quest of mankind is to
be in communion with the father the
entire arc of the biblical story is
about man made in fellowship with the
father man sins and breaks fellowship
with the father and man then is
alienated from the father and the whole
story of what we call salvation history
the story from the garden to the kingdom
of God is the story of God bringing us
back about God in search of us God
finding us and God we and folding us and
that in folding is very important and we
saw that in the previous week’s sermon
where Jesus was the door to the
sheepfold that Jesus was the true
Shepherd who led us in and out to find
pasture and solace and in that sermon I
asked this question last week what is it
that people want more than anything else
what is it that we really want and we
answer that question saying what people
really want more than anything else is
we want to be right with the world we
want to know that we have a future and
an end a positive future an end we want
safety security acceptance we want to
know that we will be okay now and in the
end that we have purpose and some where
we’re going and people naturally get
delusioned when they don’t when they’re
not going somewhere when there’s no plan
and then one of the biggest questions
that people have today is why am I here
what am I here for what is the
significance of me do I even matter
millions of people come and go are born
and die they feel cemeteries by the
thousands and we walk over their graves
reverently I hope and yet that can make
us seem so small and we are we are small
we are very small and yet we have
eternal significance you see that’s all
about the end times everything in our
life is oriented to the end we were
never made just for beginnings
beginnings have ends you can’t have a
beginning without an end and so we’re
all oriented to this we all seek a
future hope however fleeting it is we
may hope to have a nice meal with our
family this evening we may hope to have
a nice vacation in a few weeks we may
hope that we get a raise later this year
we may hope we get that job may hope we
get to see our loved ones on this and
that date and yet those things in this
world can be disrupted so easily
and Jesus is talking here in John 14
about how he’s about to leave them and
so they’re anxious and they’re scared
but he offers them comfort and he offers
them a vision of the future a vision of
hope and so he says these words let not
your hearts be troubled he says don’t be
anxious he sees their anxieties is don’t
be anxious believe in God believe also
in me and he begins to paint
this picture of the future warm one a
inviting one in my father’s house are
many rooms if it were not so I would
have told you that if it were not so
would I have told you that I go to Pitt
prepare a place for you and if I go to
prepare a place for you I will come
again and take you to myself that where
I am you may be also and you know the
way that I am going and so he tells them
not to let their hearts be troubled
because he knows who we are he knows our
frame he knows our weaknesses he knows
our struggle and he calls us to belief
he calls us to trust to trust in him
that his words to us are true his words
to us are reliable that’s what Trust is
Trust is believing that whatever
somebody or something promises to do it
can and will deliver that it can and
will deliver that’s what Trust is and
that’s the big issue of faith and
justification and salvation for us is do
we trust that God made us for a purpose
and that he can he has the power and
that he will that he loves enough to
deliver on that so he talks about in my
father’s house are many rooms she’s a
big comforting vision of the future me
and my family used to live in a 10
bedroom house this is a good analogy for
this in my father’s house are many rooms
and every time I told people that we had
a 10 bedroom house their jaws would kind
of drop because that’s a big house it’s
a big house what he’s saying is my
father has a big expansive massive house
and in house
in my father’s house are many rooms
which means I have room for you in my
house not only that but I’m making room
for you in my house now what does he
mean by this well what he means is a few
things here number one he is leaving the
world after he completes his ministry
that’s where the anxiety is number two
he will go to the Father and abide with
him to the end of the age till the time
of the kingdom that makes us a little
anxious too because we’d all like him
right here right now but there’s the
opportunity for faith and trust number
three he will prepare the kingdom of God
for his followers and his children the
my father’s house image is another image
of the kingdom of God and He will return
number four he will return to gather
them us into the kingdom of God
where we will abide with him his his
goal is to come again and take us to
himself and he’s using imagery of
betrothal here in the ancient world is
that you know the especially in Israel
as a young man would make a proposal and
to a young woman and after they’re
engaged he would go and the goal was to
go build a home and when the bridegroom
had completed it and had a home it was
in a way a place where he could
financially provide for her then he
would come and come get her and bring
her to himself and Jesus uses this
imagery of us and the church
and then he makes this baffling
statement to Thomas and you know the way
to where I am going
why doesn’t Jesus say and you know the
way to where I’m going because look at
how Thomas immediately replies Lord we
do not know where you’re going how can
you know the way Jesus said I am the way
the truth and the life no one comes to
the Father except through me so Jesus is
talking about where he’s going he says
he’s going to the Father and and and
Thomas is starting to panic a bit and
he’s like we don’t even know where
you’re going how do we know the way and
Jesus makes this blockbuster statement I
am the way the truth and the life no one
comes to the Father except by me and we
cannot underestimate the audacity of
this statement the way is us associate
the way is associated with the way of
God and what he says he is the way
number two he says he’s the truth he is
the definition he’s not saying I’m
truthful he’s not saying I tell the
truth what he says is I am the epitome
and the definition of what is true if
you want truth look at Jesus and you’ve
got it that’s truth because all all
truth is wrapped up him in him and his
person and then he says probably the
most profound I am the life I am the
life
all life is epitomized and wrapped up in
him and what he’s finding he’s talking
much more than about physical life all
through the Gospel of John
life is about eternal life and that
includes the resurrection of the body
but it’s so much more because as he said
and in our previous sermon was is I came
to give them life and that they might
have it more abundantly what he means is
much more abundantly than we have in
this world you could be the wealthiest
person in the world and you’re gonna
leave it all behind true abundance can’t
be taken from you true treasure can’t be
taken from you and so he says to Thomas
no one comes to the Father except
through me
if you had known me you would have known
my father also and yet he says this yet
from now on you have seen him here’s the
big profound truth underlying his
statement to Thomas is that the
disciples like us often don’t know what
they already know they often don’t
realize what they already to one degree
or another understand I listen to a lot
of life coaches and leadership podcasts
and one of the key things that a good
life coach does is help you discover
what you already know they don’t give
you the answers they help you think
through them and help you come to
conclusions on your own and then engage
your own brain and your own critical
thinking skills and your own self
reflection skills and that’s what a good
coach does and what Jesus tells them
here is you already know the way you go
already know the way and so many times
we already know the answer to our
questions sometimes it’s it’s right in
front of our face
and if someone else asked us we would
immediately see it somebody said I have
this problem I don’t know the answer and
you know what I’m talking about
and you immediately see clearly what
they don’t see because they’re in the
picture and you’re standing outside
they’re in the midst of the fray and
you’re standing outside and often you
can say well have you thought of this
and they go oh it’s right there I had
thought of that but then I kind of
dismissed it look the answer is right
there and so when we’re in the thick of
it we sometimes don’t see it but Jesus
says to Thomas that he is the way Thomas
says we don’t know the way and he says
look you already know it I am the way
the truth the life no man comes to the
Father except through me and this is
exactly why we need the church because
we need it for community support
mentorship that’s how we support one
another that’s how we help one another
that’s how we encourage and disciple one
another we’re on this journey of faith
hope and love together we’re not in this
on our own we’re not alone we’re not
robbing Crusoe’s we’re not you know out
here in the jungle by ourselves in fact
even the church as a collective whole is
not by ourselves because God has sent
the Spirit of Truth his spirit into the
world to lead us into spirit and truth
lead us into all truth that’s what the
Spirit does he leads us guides us and so
Jesus we learn here
has revealed the father so how is it
that Jesus shows us the way to where
he’s going well Jesus reveals where he
is going and where he is going as a
person God the Father that’s where Jesus
is going God the Father and that’s also
paradoxically where Jesus already is and
always will be and that’s a big one to
get the head get your head around that
right so you see the ancient Jews chose
the name father to refer to God to show
his compassionate heart and Jesus comes
to reveal the father that means he comes
to show the compassionate heart of God
and there’s no greater display of the
compassionate heart of God then the son
of God giving up his life on the tree
giving up his life on the tree and
everything that’s going on in our life
is about relationship our relationships
to God and each other that’s all that
matters
those are the two great Commandments
right you shall love the Lord your God
with all your heart soul mind and
strength Deuteronomy 6:4 and the second
great commandment which is uh Leviticus
19:17 I think 1980 you should love your
neighbor as yourself
so love your neighbor as yourself on
these two Commandments hang all the law
and the prophets everything that matters
is God and each other
and everything goes wrong when anything
else becomes more important than one of
those when our hobbies when our career
when our goals when our desires when
anything we love and do we begin to love
more than people money
material things all those things can
come in between people and they
constantly do and the reason they come
in between peoples because people put
them there they stick the wedge in there
and they drive the wedge and Jesus is
coming into the world to bring this new
gigantic vision of a new world and a new
end and that vision is all about
bringing humanity back together Jesus is
bringing us back to be a corporate whole
he’s redeeming he’s reconciling he’s
bringing us together so our
relationships are person-to-person
personhood to personhood both with each
other and with God and Paul and and
Philip here gets a little bit of this
and he wants a little more and it’s it’s
a good thing it’s a good thing and so he
says in verse 8 Lord show us the father
and it is enough for us and Jesus says
to him how long have I been have I been
with you so long that you still do not
know me Philip
whoever has seen me has seen the father
how can you say show us the father he’s
saying Philip buddy do you not get it
and this is relate to right back to what
Thomas said Thomas said we don’t know
where you’re going and what Jesus says
no you do you you do know where you’re
going because you’ve seen me and really
both these statements are saying the
same thing this thing this great big
statement I am the way the truth and the
life no man comes to the Father but by
me and Philip he who has seen me has
seen the father are saying the same
thing because Jesus is the way to the
Father Jesus is the way in that grand
arc back to God Jesus is that way Jesus
reveals the heart of God and the heart
of the father he says in verse 10 do you
not believe that I am in the father and
the father is in me Jesus is already
with the father
he already has perfect communion with
the father and that’s the key for us is
if we have communion with Jesus we have
communion with the father the words I
say to you I do not speak of my own
authority but the father who dwells in
me does his works believe me that I am
in the father and the father and me
or else believe on account of the works
themselves so Jesus’s words have these
special significance Jesus is in the
father and the father is in Jesus they
have perfect fellowship Father Son and
Holy Spirit have a perfect fellowship
the ancient doctors of the church in the
first few centuries had a term for this
called Perry choruses and I won’t get
into all that right now but it was that
term was used to talk about the perfect
fellowship of Father Son and Holy Spirit
in fact some even talked about the Perry
curette ik dance
and they used the image of dance as that
unity that a couple would have that’s
dancing that the Trinity has that God is
in a perfect harmony and the key thing
is if we have communion with Jesus we
are drawn into that perfect communion
whether we realize it or not you see in
the gospel we are in Christ to have
communion with Jesus is to have
communion with the father that’s what
he’s saying to Philip and that’s also
what he’s saying to Thomas because Jesus
in his resurrection has perfect as
perfect communion with the father yes
perfect communion with the father God
communed with mankind as man so man kind
could commune with God as God as
athenais shut it God became man that man
might become God no we do not become
another God like him what we become is
part of him Jesus as the head and we as
the body and so we are the Bride of
Christ we are the body of God we are the
body of God it’s not just a metaphor
it’s a spiritual reality and it’s a
spiritual reality that we carry in these
broken earthen vessels and yet it’s true
nonetheless and though we do not have
the sense perception aswer that to
understand the full full power and
ramification of being the body of God we
nevertheless are and that’s what we’ll
spend the rest of eternity in the
kingdom learning is how to be the body
of God in full spirit and full truth
without
bodies weighed down by sin which is a
hopeful hopeful message right to not be
worn down by both physical and spiritual
and emotional chains what’s our main
point is this this is how Jesus shows us
the Father he is the way he is the truth
and he is the life because he really
reveals the father because the one who
is in perfect communion with the father
reveals the father to us
and invites us into communion with him
and that’s comes back to Thomas’s
statement Lord we don’t know we don’t
even know where you’re going so how are
we gonna know where to go it’s similar
to that statement made and Alice’s
Adventures in Wonderland if you don’t
know where you’re going any road will
take you there and that’s the kind of
befuddle meant Thomas has here but Jesus
is pointing out to him and to Philip no
you just don’t realize what you already
know
you don’t realize what I’ve already
showed you I’ve showed you the way to
the Father and the way to the Father as
a person named Jesus Jesus is the way
and the truth and the life and so he
paints this vision of the future but he
does more than that he does more than
that I want to show you this here in
verses 14 I mean in chapter 14 verses 12
through 14 listen here truly truly I say
to you whoever believes in Me will also
do the works that I do and greater works
than these will he do because I am going
to the Father whatever you ask in my
name this I will do the father may be
glorified in the son you asked
anything in my name I will do it Jesus
does more than just point to the future
and says hey you have a hope what he
does is he empowers his church right
here he says if you step on to this
train
if you stand step on to this game plan
and you give your life to this game plan
you will be a part of that kingdom of
God and there’s one way to step on to
that conveyor belt and that’s by faith
if whoever believes in Me will also do
the works I do the opposite is that
whoever does not believe and me will not
do the works I do what he does is he’s
inviting us to be a part of it and I
think we need to be thinking about that
this spring as we start to come back a
society comes to open them what are we
gonna do how are we going to be a part
of the works of God what disbelief is
resident in our hearts that’s keeping us
from acting in doing the works of God in
the world doing the works of God in
Rhode Island and in our relationships I
think that’s a really good
self-assessment I think I need to spend
some time on that myself
what is the disbelief in my house heart
that’s holding me back because God is
empowering us Jesus is empowering us to
be a part of that vision to be a part of
the kingdom of God and so I ask you
brothers and sisters those who are with
me now and those who will tune into this
later
how is God gonna use you in the spring
the summer this next year to do the
works of God to grow Church of the
Apostles to make difference in people’s
lives for the gospel how are you gonna
show
the father to others because you are in
Christ and because we are in Christ we
are in the Father and we get to bring
him to the world amen well let’s
continue in our prayer and we are on
print on page 81 and we’re going to
continue here with some open
intercessory prayer so I’m just gonna
lead out here and if you guys have any
prayer requests you can post them there
and I will be praying for them father we
just thank you for this time in your
word we thank you for this time in the
scriptures we thank you for time with
you that your spirit is here with me and
with us and that we can fellowship with
you that we can have fellowship with you
and with the father through you and your
spirit we thank you that you welcomed us
in to that dance and father we pray for
all those who are hurting and suffering
right now father we pray that you will
give them a vision of the kingdom
whatever their calling is father
sometimes in our suffering you don’t
take away the suffering you give us a
vision of the kingdom of God you give us
a vision of where we’re going and that’s
an exciting thing that’s a beautiful
thing so father give us a vision of the
things to come give us the things to be
hopeful and excited about father I pray
for the dome on family we just pray for
gabbatha and her mother and her sisters
and all brothers and cousins say cor
they are hurting our hearts are with
them and we pray that you’ll just lift
them up to the Lord and just give them
right now a vision of the kingdom of God
cuz sake whores with you he’s not coming
back
and he probably doesn’t want to come
back at this point being with you and
what’s going to encourage them and
anyone who loses a lot I lost one right
now is a kingdom of God because the
kingdom of God because Jesus you are
better
father we pray for all those who are
suffering right now we’re healing up we
pray for the Linda and for Paulette and
just so many others pray for Dawn and we
just lift them up in anyone who’s had
any health difficulties pray for Diane’s
foot that she’s had some some pain in
and father I know there’s many more
suffering some of some of us are just
feeling lonely and isolated at home and
father just pass on that vision of the
kingdom of God and so father with that
we continue in prayer to you on page 81
lord have mercy Christ have mercy lord
have mercy our Father who art in heaven
hallowed be thy name thy kingdom come
thy will be done on earth as it is in
heaven give us this day our daily bread
and forgive us our trespasses as we
forgive those who trespass against us
lead us not into temptation but deliver
us from evil for yours is the kingdom
and the power and the glory forever and
ever amen
Lord hear our prayer let our cry come to
you
let us pray or Jesus you said to your
apostles peace I give you my own peace I
leave with you regard not our sins but
the faith of your church give to us the
peace and the unity of that heavenly
City or with the father and the Holy
Spirit you live in rain now and forever
man let us bless the Lord thanks be to
God I thank God for you all of you who
are joining with me now and those of you
who may watch this later
may the Lord encourage your heart and
just fill your mind and heart in the
coming weeks in the coming year with the
vision of the kingdom of God that he has
empowered you to be a part of that that
you have his spirit within you you have
that Holy Spirit power at your
fingertips you have a wonderful
afternoon thank you for joining me for
worship in prayer god bless
English (auto-generated)